Mum thought working from home caused discoloured leg until discovering deadly truth from taking pill
A woman developed an ache in her leg which she initially thought happened because she was sitting down while working from home - until doctors told her the truth.
Amy Pitt was prescribed the combined contraceptive pill in September 2024 to stop her from getting pregnant after she'd had an IVF birth.
The 37-year-old then developed pain in her left leg in May, which she put down to working from home and the inactivity of not leaving the house.
However, her groin then 'bulged' to three inches larger than its usual size and she suffered from stomach pain, resulting in her being admitted to hospital on 18 May.
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Doctors found occlusive thrombus 'extensive' blood clots in the major veins in Amy's left leg, clots which had caused the life threatening condition of a pulmonary embolism which is where the clots travel to the lungs.
They said that taking the birth control pill had been the cause of the blood clots, and that this 'could've been fatal' because Amy had been set to fly to Crete and the cabin pressure in the aircraft might have resulted in her death.
"It's just a bit shocking. My pill could have killed me," Amy said of learning how close she might have come to her leg pain being fatal.
"It's just crazy because I'm only young and I've got a blood clot caused by the pill. The doctor said 'your blood clots are so extensive. One of them is completely blocking the blood flow. If you'd flown to Crete without realising due to the altitude due to the oxygen levels on the plane, it could've been fatal for you'.
"I have two children so I was just thinking 'could you imagine if I'd gone on that flight. I could've been stuck in another country'. It's scary."
The Solihull woman has since stopped taking the pill after doctors told her to get off it, with them going 'straight in the bin'.
Amy's now on blood-thinning medication so her clots can dissolve, though she's been told her leg might stay swollen for upwards of a year.
The 37-year-old wants other people to be aware of the possible 'life-threatening' risks, having previously used the pill safely as a teenager.
Amy is 'constantly on edge' about the possibility that her other clots might go to her lungs.
She said: "It's just waiting for these clots to dissolve and hope that my life will get back to normal.
"I'm on blood thinners now so any bump to the head you have to call 111 because it can cause internal bleeding. I have to carry an alert card in case I'm in an accident. Thankfully I've had no injuries so far.
"I don't think I was aware this was one of the risks. That's what I've got to take accountability for. In the small print of all these medications it does tell you all the risks. I think I was a bit naïve.
"Just make sure you talk to your doctor about the risks and make sure you're aware of the risks yourself. Read the small print. The odds of you getting one are low but the odds are still there. It could be life-threatening."
According to the NHS, there is a very small risk of developing blood clots from the combined pill, with up to one in 1,000 people who take it at risk of this potentially lethal side effect.
Joe Harker